Sensitive CE-MS method for monitoring of riociguat and desmethylriociguat levels in human serum

Riociguat is novel antihypertensive drug for treatment of pulmonary hypertension. As such, it is still being tested in many clinical and pharmacokinetic trials. Existing methods that determine serum riociguat and desmethylriociguat (DMR) are based solely on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Therefore, we present a novel capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry method (CE-MS) for their determination in human serum as alternative method for ongoing trials. Complete resolution of both analytes was achieved by means of pH optimization of ammonium formate background electrolytes that are fully compatible with ESI/MS detection. Simple liquid-liquid extraction was used as sample pretreatment. The calibration dependence of the method was linear (in the range of 10–1000 ng/mL), with adequate accuracy (90.1–114.9%) and precision (13.4%). LOD and LOQ were arbitrarily set at 10 ng/mL for both analytes. Clinical applicability was validated using serum samples from patients treated with riociguat in pharmacokinetic study and the results corresponded with reference HPLC-MS/MS values. Capillary electrophoresis proved to be sensitive and selective tool for the analysis of riociguat and DMR.     

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The novel heteronuclear complexes [{cis-PtCl (NH₃)(μ-pyrazine)ZnCl (terpy)}](ClO₄)₂ (Pt-L1-Zn) and [{cis-PtCl (NH₃)(μ-4,4′-bipyridyl)ZnCl (terpy)}](ClO₄)₂ (Pt-L2-Zn) (where terpy = 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine, L1 = pyrazine, L2 = 4,4′-bipyridyl) were synthesized and characterized. The pK_a values were determined, and based on them it was established that the π-acceptor ability of the pyrazine bridging ligand is more affective on lower pK_a values. The kinetic measurements of the substitution reactions with biologically relevant ligands, such as guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP), inosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-IMP) and glutathione (GSH), were studied at pH 7.4. The reactions were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The order of reactivity of the investigated biomolecules for the first reaction is 5′-GMP > 5′-IMP > GSH, while for the second is 5′-IMP > GSH. Pt-L1-Zn complex is more reactive than Pt-L2-Zn. The cytotoxic activity of heteronuclear Pt-L1-Zn and Pt-L2-Zn complexes was determined on human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT-116) and human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). Both complexes significantly reduced cell viability on tested cell lines and exerted significant cytotoxic effects, with better effect on HCT-116 cells than cisplatin, especially after 72 hr (IC₅₀ < 0.52 μM). The Pt-L2-Zn complex showed higher activity against human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) than cisplatin after 72 hr. The higher reactivity toward DNA constituent and significant cytotoxic activity may be attributed to the different geometry, Lewis acidity of different metal centers, as well as, to choice of bridging ligands.     

Enhancing the Viscosity-Sensitive Range of a BODIPY Molecular Rotor by Two Orders of Magnitude

Molecular rotors are a class of fluorophores that enable convenient imaging of viscosity inside microscopic samples such as lipid vesicles or live cells. Currently, rotor compounds containing a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) group are among the most promising viscosity probes. In this work, it is reported that by adding heavy-electron-withdrawing −NO₂ groups, the viscosity-sensitive range of a BODIPY probe is drastically expanded from 5–1500 cP to 0.5–50 000 cP. The improved range makes it, to our knowledge, the first hydrophobic molecular rotor applicable not only at moderate viscosities but also for viscosity measurements in highly viscous samples. Furthermore, the photophysical mechanism of the BODIPY molecular rotors under study has been determined by performing quantum chemical calculations and transient absorption experiments. This mechanism demonstrates how BODIPY molecular rotors work in general, why the −NO₂ group causes such an improvement, and why BODIPY molecular rotors suffer from undesirable sensitivity to temperature. Overall, besides reporting a viscosity probe with remarkable properties, the results obtained expand the general understanding of molecular rotors and show a way to use the knowledge of their molecular action mechanism for augmenting their viscosity-sensing properties.     

Tailoring thermal development of gamma alumina sorbents material using combustion synthesis: the effect of amino acids (G,A, N) and equivalence ratio

Using a combustion synthesis, the range of achievable textures is broader than using conventional synthesis methods and can be controlled more successfully. As a tool allowing the achievement and control of desired textures, here we bring about wet chemistry synthesis using aluminium nitrate nonahydrate (ANN) precursor systematically combined with different fuels (amino acids). The amino acids; glycine (G), alanine (A) and asparagine (N) have been specifically selected in order to show the role of gradual increase in their: (1) molar mass, (2) enthalpy of combustion, (3) amine groups content and (4) ratio to ANN. Detailed (micro) structural and thermal characterisations confirm that the nanocrystalline character and thermomechanical stability were not diminished in the course of this synthesis. The conditions leading to development of different morphologies from gels to powders were found to be heavily under the influence of fuel/oxygen ratio, i.e. of the smouldering versus flaming mechanism of the combustion. Higher content of nitrates (predominately from amino-rich amino acids) strongly promoted auto-combustion behaviour. As-derived alumina precursors have been thermally treated at various temperatures (quenched and soaked), to monitor γ- and α-alumina crystallisation, with respect to the development of morphology. Different texture types have been observed, such as porous wormhole, porous and porous expanded flakes. Higher fuel levels promote specific surface increase. This combustion synthesis allows facile tailoring of nanocrystalline γ-alumina with different morphological features, whereas samples having optimal parameters were suitable for catalyst support application on behalf of rapid sorption performance.

     

Redox‐Active Tetraruthenium Macrocycles Built from 1,4‐Divinylphenylene‐Bridged Diruthenium Complexes

Metallamacrocylic tetraruthenium complexes were generated by treatment of 1,4‐divinylphenylene‐bridged diruthenium complexes with functionalized 1,3‐benzene dicarboxylic acids and characterized by HR ESI‐MS and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Every divinylphenylene diruthenium subunit is oxidized in two consecutive one‐electron steps with half‐wave potential splittings in the range of 250 to 330 mV. Additional, smaller redox‐splittings between the +/2+ and 0/+ and the 3+/4+ and 2+/3+ redox processes, corresponding to the first and the second oxidations of every divinylphenylene diruthenium entity, are due to electrostatic effects. The lack of electronic coupling through bond or through space is explained by the nodal properties of the relevant molecular orbitals and the lateral side‐by‐side arrangement of the divinylphenylene linkers. The polyelectrochromic behavior of the divinylphenylene diruthenium precursors is retained and even amplified in these metallamacrocyclic structures. EPR studies down to T=4 K indicate that the dications 1‐H²⁺ and 1‐OBu²⁺ are paramagnetic. The dications and the tetracation of macrocycle 3‐H display intense (dications) or weak ( 3‐H⁴⁺ ) EPR signals. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the four most stable conformers of the macrocycles are largely devoid of strain. Bond parameters, energies as well as charge and spin density distributions of model macrocycle 5‐H^Me were calculated for the different charge and spin states.     

Crystal structure of K[PtCl3(caffeine)] and its interactions with important nitrogen-donor ligands

The crystal structure of K[PtCl₃(caffeine)] was determined. The coordination geometry around platinum is square-planar formed by N9 of the caffeine ligand and three Cl^? ions. The bond lengths and angles of K[PtCl₃(caffeine)] were compared with those reported for [PtCl₃(caffeine)]^? and K[PtCl₃(theobromine)]. At the level of the statistical significance of the data we have compared, no differences in the bond distances and angles for any of these compounds were noticed. Weak interactions between K⁺ and Cl^? are responsible for the formation of 1-D polymeric chains in the crystal structure of the complex. The interactions of K[PtCl₃(caffeine)] with inosine (Ino) and guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP) were studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy at 295 K in D₂O in a molar ratio of 1 : 1. The results indicate formation of the reaction product [PtCl₃(Nu)] (Nu=Ino or 5′-GMP) with the release of caffeine from the coordination sphere of the starting complex. The higher stability of the bond between the Pt(II) ion and Ino or 5′-GMP compared to the stability of the platinum–caffeine bond is confirmed by density functional theory calculations (B3LYP/LANL2DZp) using as models 9-methylhypoxanthine and 9-methylguanine.